The Guardian
by TJ Jordan
Summary: After the deaths of their parents, two brothers set out on a path of revenge to hunt down those responsible, but end up involved in a conspiracy much bigger than their own personal vendetta. Conflicted between vengeance and doing what's right, their actions will set into motion events yet to come - 4th installment to my Severus Snape Series!
1. Brothers

**The Guardian**

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 **Hey guys! Welcome back to my fanfiction stories, if you are familiar with my work. And welcome newcomers, if aren't familiar with my work as well.**

 **Anyway, this is my newest addition to the _'Severus Snape Series'_ I'm doing. In terms of ranking which story was made first, this will be the fourth installment to the series, although it is (technically, in chronical order) the first, as it will be serving as a prequel before _Redemption, The Mysterious Traveler_ and _The Unknown Hero_ (its story will take place 40 years before any of the three stories). The original working title was actually _'The Infiltrator'_ , but the plot changed a couple dozen times and I decided to change the title to _'The Guardian'_ instead. I'm really excited to do this one because it's going to be pretty unique to the other three that I've been dong.**

 **Just a heads up, this will not feature Severus Snape as the main character. He will appear (in the present-day parts), but he is ultimately a minor character this time around. I know this breaks the rule I've been following with the other three stories, but it's for a good reason.**

 **Another warning I should inform all of you (as stated earlier), this story is part of an on-going series called the _'Severus Snape Series'_ (originally called the _'Severus Snape Trilogy_ ', before it was expanded beyond three stories). So this story will contain SPOILERS (in a way) that are in some of the other installments, although that won't happen until later on in other chapters. Without giving too much away, this story is critical to the series. I normally don't like doing stories that rely on the support of other existing stories, but this is an exception that I feel is needed.**

 **You can find my other three stories ( _Redemption, The Mysterious Traveler & The Unknown Hero_) on my profile page.**

 **I don't plan on this one being a big story, so it might turn out to be small. But that might change later on if the story expands.**

 **As a disclaimer: I Do Not Own Harry Potter!**

 **Second disclaimer: I do not own the 'Archer' picture I'm using the poster for the story to make it look good.**

 **Without further ado, please enjoy my fourth installment to my ' _Severus Snape_ Series': _'The Guardian!'_**

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 **Chapter One:**

 **Brothers**

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 _"Before embarking on a journey of revenge... dig two graves."_

 _\- Confucius_

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As the youthful night carried on and the full moon rose higher into the beautiful sky above, a wolf's howling could be heard from a distance, including other animal cries from the vast forest that surrounded a large castle in middle, with a large lake not far from it. The stars and moon lit up the peaceful landscape, allowing for everything to be seen, except for what lied in the darkness of the forest. A mixture of peace and fear everywhere.

From within the castle of the Defense Against The Dark Arts classroom, a white-haired man in wizard robes stood in front of a large window, exposed by the light shining through. His hands were in his pockets, eyes closed as he debated with himself what to do with the situation he was in. Questions and scenarios ran through his mind as he focused long and hard, blocking out his surroundings. Sighing, he opened his eyes and stared out towards the lake, watching the light reflect off the water.

"Sir?" came a voice from behind, reminding him of the company present at the moment.

Turning around, he came face to face with a young sixteen-year-old boy, whose hair was lower than it originally was and no longer greasy, a noticeably crooked nose, wearing black robes that had green stripes on the collar, along with the symbol of a snake on the left upper chest. The boy's black eyes stared directly into his, a look of desperation and hope within them. A look that the man was all too familiar with.

"I need to know..." the boy's expression was filled with determination. "You may have fooled the Headmaster, but I know you're not who you say you are. The things you know about me, about Dumbledore, about the Dark Lord... none of it makes sense to me, except for the fact that every time I try to figure you out, I always come back to the same conclusion... you've been lying about who you are."

"I've never lied to you, Severus," the man replied. "Aside from the Headmaster and the staff, I've told no such false facts about me to you."

"You've lied by omission!" the voice of Severus Snape grew heavy with anger and frustration.

"Yes, I have," the man slightly nodded. "But I've never told you anything about me that wasn't true. And it isn't like you've kept certain details about your life hidden by omitting them as well."

Severus huffed as he turned away.

The man chuckled as he walked to his desk and removed a large, warm coat off of it, slipping into it.

"Let's take a walk," he declared. "I think the night is too good to miss out on."

Touching the young Slytherin by the shoulder, he led him to the door of the classroom and walked on out, making their way through the giant castle of Hogwarts. Despite a run in with Argus Filch and his cat, the man dealt with the caretaker and sent him on his way, managing to save the young student from punishment for being out past curfew. The rest of the journey was done so in silence, eventually finding themselves on the shoreline of the lake, just a few feet away from the water.

The cold wind of January brushed against them, making the man thankful for his coat, while Severus never once shivered against the wind, despite the poor clothing he had for such conditions. Some snow was still on the ground, but not enough to cover the entire area. Not to mention the barriers that protected Hogwarts made sure to keep the grounds from becoming muddy or too wet, allowing for easy passage.

The two stared out towards the water, basking in the light of the moon.

"Severus," the man began with a small, gentle voice. "There are things about me that I've taken a vow to never tell anyone. A vow that my brother and I made... and have broken, on several occasions."

Severus turned to the man, eyes filled with curiosity at the mention of _'brother'_ in his sentence.

The man's eyes stared off into the distance, his mind lost in thought. A sad expression filled his face, with the hints of tears behind his eyes. Almost as if he had ventured off into another world and left his body behind.

He turned towards the young Hogwarts student and spoke in a serious, but calm voice, "What I'm about to tell you must never reach the ears of anyone else."

Despite his heart racing with excitement, Severus kept his expression neutral, "Then why tell me?"

"Because my time here is coming to an end. And before I leave, I want to offer you a choice that will affect the rest of your life. But in order for you to understand and believe a word I say, I must start at the beginning. The beginning of when all of this started for me. Only when I'm finished can you understand and take my offer seriously."

Severus stared deep into his eyes, searching for any hint of falsehood in his words, but found none.

"Alright," he nodded.

The man nodded back and turned towards a large tree that wasn't far from them, pointing directly at it, "Let's use that tree as a shield against the wind and rest our legs."

Severus's expression turned to fear and dread, feeling the need to run away at the sight of the tree but followed his DADA teacher up to it. After conjuring up a Muffilato spell, a heating spell and two chairs, the two sat beneath the shade of the tree, protected by the cold wind and air of the night. And looked out towards the beauty in front of them.

Despite feeling uncomfortable where they were, Severus pushed back the negative feelings and waited for the professor to continue, who was silent for the moment. He stared out towards the lake and beyond, completely lost to whatever world he was in

After what felt like an eternity to the Slytherin, the man spoke, "You're right when you said I wasn't who I said I am. I find it no surprise that it would be you to figure it out first, instead of Dumbledore. Out of everyone in my travels, you have always been the most fascinating to me, Severus. Not Harry Potter, not Hermione Granger, not Gellert Grindelwald, not even Albus Dumbledore."

Severus frowned, half of the names he said were unknown to him. Although he began to wonder if Harry Potter was someone from his rival's ancestry.

The man smiled, "At first, I thought the same as everyone else about you. An evil, twisted person who cared about nothing in life and wished to become the worst humanity had to offer. The way you treated students, especially Harry Potter... There was a time your very name filled my heart with hatred."

Severus felt dumbstruck to the information he was being told, almost as if someone came out of nowhere and smacked him across the face, leaving a series of mixed emotions from shock to anger, with no idea how to react.

"But as I grew older, I realized how wrong I was. Everything you've done in the name of the girl you loved, despite all that has happened to you... It opened my eyes to the truth." He paused. "You're a victim of a prejudice far worse than what any werewolf or muggleborn has endured."

The Slytherin sneered at hearing the word _victim,_ angrily whispering, "I don't need your pity!"

The man continued, almost as if he didn't hear him, "You were judged before anyone got to know you, for the life you were born into, the House you were Sorted into. In different ways, others saw you as a weakling they could take advantage of, whether it be to bully around or to use for their own gain. And worse, no one did anything about it. You were left alone and forced to take up with those who offered you some form of safety. I realize now that the reason you're so mean to everyone else is because that's how they all treated you."

The sound a distant howl sent chills down Severus's spine, almost forgetting his anger.

The man closed his eyes and reopened them, a newfound determination deep within them as he began his tale, "Forty years ago, I wasn't the man that I am now. Back then, I was very different. One could say, unrecognizable-"

The view of the lake and the trees disappeared from his vision as he turned his eyes to the full moon, his heart skipping a beat at the one memory that refused to leave him be.

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 _Over a vast, plain field of grass and hills, the full moon lit up the sky and everything around it, with thousands of stars in the sky._ _On the top of an abandoned windmill, two ten-year-old boys laid on the Gable shaped roof for support, pointing up towards the sky to sort out shapes that the stars seemed to make from their own imaginations._

 _"I think that one resembles Hogwarts!" said the boy on the left, one hand behind his short golden hair._

 _The boy on the right, with white hair, rolled his eyes and moaned, "Will you stop saying everything looks like Hogwarts?! It's only making me feel like our eleventh birthdays are never going to get here!"_

 _"I can't help it! I just can't wait to go! I mean, we're going to be wizards, Derek!" his face lit up with excitement as he turned towards him. "We'll learn all sorts of magic from the best teachers. And we'll graduate to become Aurors, like father!"_

 _The boy known as Derek smiled, unable to contain his excitement as well, "You're right about that, bro! You and me, we're going to be the best of them all." He placed his arm under his brother's neck and waved his free arm into the sky. "We'll chase down them bad wizards and become heroes. I bet we'll be the ones to take down Gellert Grindelwald."_

 _The boy with the golden hair giggled, "I would like that... To become a hero."_

 _"We both will become heroes, you and me!" Derek promised him as he leaned up to look out towards the horizon, getting a glimpse of a tiny house on the other side of a river that laid between it and the windmill._

 _The other boy leaned up with him, sitting in silence as they stared in awe at the view of the beautiful landscape before them, feeling the cool wind against their little bodies._

 _Suddenly, the flashing of a light from across the river caught their attention, turning to see that it was coming from the porch of the small house. A female's voice called out, just barely reaching them._

 _"Derek! Brandon! Dinner is ready!"_

 _Smiling at each other, the two got up, being careful not to fall off of the windmill._

 _"Race ya!" Derek cried out as he ran towards the edge of the windmill and took a leap into the air._

 _"HEY! NO FAIR!" the boy known as Brandon chased after him, jumping off the edge as well in an attempt to catch up to him._

 _The two brothers fell into the river and hit the cold water with a splash, going under the surface. Thankfully, the bottom was deep enough from the height they jumped from, ensuring they wouldn't hurt themselves in the attempt, as long as they made sure not to land wrong._

 _Breaking the surface, they swam to the riverbank and pulled themselves out of the water, making a run for the front door of the house._

 _"OH, FOR MERLIN'S SAKE, HOW MANY TIMES HAVE I TOLD YOU NOT TO DO THAT?!" the angry voice of their mother filled their ears as they got within feet of the front door, only to feel a hand on each of their robes make them come to a complete stop._

 _"Oh, come on mum," Derek whined, trying to escape her grasp and beat his brother to the finish line. "I was about to beat Bran!"_

 _"You?! I was about to win!" Brandon argued as he too tried to escape the hand that restrained him._

 _"Not a chance, little bro."_

 _"I'm only younger by a minute and a few seconds! And don't call me little!"_

 _"Oh, sorry, I probably should have said 'barely average' then," Derek smiled as he dodged a punch Brandon tried to throw at him._

 _"If I had a Galleon for every time you boys frightened and, or angered me to my magical core, I would be the richest witch in the entire world!" their mother's voice rang in their ears. "Now, turn around!"_

 _Once they had turned to face their mother, they came face-to-face with her wand pointed directly at them._

 _"AAAHHH!" they both cried out together, holding out their arms in front of them in an attempt to protect themselves as they began to fear that they had pushed their mother too far. However, much to their relief, their mother muttered the 'Hot-Air Charm' and found that their robes and bodies were completely dried._

 _Smiling with satisfaction, she put her wand back into her robes, "Now that you're both dried and won't be track water across the floor, I want you to two to wash up and set up the table, while I get the food ready."_

 _"Yes, mum," the two said at the same time, quickly rushing inside for the sink. Once they had washed their hands and faces, they began to take out dishes and silverware, bringing them to the table. Once they were all set up, their mother brought the food and set it up at the center._

 _The two boys licked their lips at the sight of the food, which happened to be chicken, rice and baked pie. When they thought their mother wasn't looking, they attempted to steal a piece of the chicken legs, only to see her hand reaching for her wand once the food was inches from their wide mouths._

 _"If I find even one piece of the food gone, I'll hex you both to your bedrooms and let your father and I enjoy the meal to ourselves!" she warned, making the two look at each other with wide eyes and put the chicken legs back, taking a step away from the table in fear._

 _After helping their mother with the dishes from making the food, their father arrived home._

 _"And how are my little 'heroes'?!" he hung up his hat and coat, hugging the two boys as they ran up to him and threw themselves onto his big chest. With his muscular arms, he hoisted them up and they sat on each side of his shoulders. "You guys go on wild adventures today?"_

 _"Yeah!" Brandon nodded. "Today, we hung out at the windmill and tried to rebuild some of it."_

 _"We thought we could turn it into a base," Derek added._

 _"A base?" their father pretended to act surprised. "For what?"_

 _"For when we become heroes, like you!" Brandon replied._

 _Their father laughed and kissed the top of their heads, "But you two are already heroes!"_

 _Their mother smiled as she walked up and kissed him on the lips, earning a "yuck" from both boys as they turned away in disgust._

 _"Your children scared the crap out of me when they jumped off the windmill and into the river."_

 _Their father's face lit up, turning to each of them._

 _"You did? Was it fun?"_

 _The two brothers nodded with smiles on their faces._

 _"Nothing to worry about my dear. They're just doing what their old man did when he was a ch-i-" he stopped talking the moment he saw his wife raise an eyebrow at him, tapping her hip where her wand was. "Um... I mean... that was a very bad thing you did, boys. I should take you out back and give you a whopping."_

 _He leaned into Brandon and quickly whispered into his ear, "I'm so proud of you."_

 _"Yes, I should do that! But I because I'm in such a good mood right now, I'll let it pass just this once. Do it again and I'll make sure you never go near that windmill until I say so."_

 _He turned to Derek and quickly whispered into his ear as well, "Next time mum isn't around, we should all try it together."_

 _Sniffing the air, he put both his sons down and approached the table, "What are we all standing around for? There's food that needs to be eaten at this moment!"_

 _Shaking her head, their mother turned to them and nodded towards the table, smiling._

 _Smiling back, the two ran to their chairs and grabbed ahold of their silverware, ready to dig in. Once their mother sat down next to their father and said their prayers, they began to eat and talk about their day, enjoying the meal for the night before they all did the dishes together as a family after it was over. Afterwards, the two brothers were sent off to bed, getting into their pajamas as their father and mother sat at the edge of their beds, telling them a bedtime story._

 _However, once a few hours went by, both Brandon and Derek quickly snuck out of their beds and tiptoed own the small hallway, making sure the darkness kept them hidden as they spied on their parents from the living room, both of whom were sitting next to the burning fireplace._

 _"How bad is it?" they heard their mother ask._

 _Their father shook his head, "Grindelwald grows stronger every year, gaining more followers to his side. The Ministry has tried to search for him, but he keeps on changing locations. He's even sent out false information on where he'll be next, some of which are traps for Aurors to walk into."_

 _The boys felt their hearts racing at the news._

 _"But that's not all that worries you, is it?"_

 _They watched as their father's head hung low, almost as if he was ashamed._

 _"Druella, what would you do if you've found a way to end the war that we are in right now?" he looked up at her. "Even if you had a feeling that it was wrong, would you still do it to end something so terrible before it could potentially end so many lives? To make sure our children grow up without a single worry for what's to come tomorrow?"_

 _Druella frowned at him, "Vincent, what are you talking about? How could you possibly know how to end this war? Do you think you can find Grindelwald?"_

 _Vincent shook his head, "No, I can't locate him. But I think I know 'those' who can."_

 _"And who are they?"_

 _"I don't know," he spoke with a hint of fear in his heart. "But they asked me to do something I'm not so sure is right."_

 _"What do they want you to do?" Druella reached for his hand and grasped it, feeling him squeeze back._

 _"They asked me to locate someone, someone I may have been in contact with."_

 _"And what are going to do to this person if you give them this information?"_

 _"That's the thing, I don't know. They promised that if I help them locate someone, they'll help me locate Grindelwald. Seems too good to be true, but I can't help but wonder if they really can do it."_

 _Silence passed between them as they stared into the flames of the fireplace._

 _"Vincent," Druella used her hand to lift his chin up to look at her. "I... honestly don't know how to answer that question. To potentially sacrifice one person for the possibility of bringing down a madman who will hurt many more. It's too big for anyone to know the answer. But I do know this... if these people do indeed know where Grindelwald is, they would have done the right thing and brought the information to the Ministry. You want my opinion on it? Don't do it!"_

 _Vincent stared into her eyes and smiled, leaning forward to kiss her._

 _Both Derek and Brandon silent did a 'yuck' at the sight, pretending to vomit._

 _"I knew I married you for a reason," he smiled._

 _Druella raised an eyebrow, "Are you sure it wasn't because of my certain 'qualities'?"_

 _"Oh, don't worry, 'those' were part of the reason too."_

 _Not liking where this conversation was going, the two brothers retreated back to their room and silently closed the door, getting into their beds._

 _"Do you think dad's going to be alright?" Brandon asked._

 _Derek paused for a moment before answering, "Sure he will. He's dad, after all."_

 _"But he didn't sound too good just now."_

 _The sound of footsteps could be heard from outside their room, forcing the two to lie down and pretend to be asleep. They heard the door open and felt the eyes of their father on them, who was watching them with a look they couldn't see. A look that was filled with love, worry and confliction. Their mother approached from behind and kissed him on the cheek, resting her chin on his shoulder as they watched them._

 _Once the door was closed, the two brothers rose from their beds and began to talk again, quickly changing the subject for what they should do in the morning._

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 **So, how was it? Please leave your reviews and comments in the review section down below.**

 **I apologize for any grammar errors. Trying to do my best in editing, as I am the only one doing all of this.**

 **Like I said, this will not feature Severus Snape as the main character, but I wanted to include him in some way and I figured why not have him be the audience (in a way).**

 **I know this story seems confusing, but I promise that I have the plot figured out. At least, the major points and direction. But I promise you that it's all leading up to something.**

 **Once again, this is part of my ' _Severus Snape Series',_ so I recommend checking out my other three stories (all of which are incomplete at the moment, until they are).**

 **The rating for this story may be 'T' for now, but it may go up to 'M' if I think it needs to be.**

 **Hope you guys like the first chapter and I'll see you in Chapter 2! :)**


	2. A Visit To Diagon Alley

**The Guardian**

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 **Didn't plan for this chapter to be up so early already, but I figured why not post it now.**

 **Hope you guys enjoyed the first chapter and are interested in the story. I know it's confusing and very different from the usual HP stories, especially considering how this is part of a series that focuses on Severus Snape. But please, bare with me on this. I promise you that this will lead to something. Just stick with it.**

 **As a reminder, this is part of my _'Severus Snape Series'_ , so it will be relying on the three already established stories before it. You can easily find them on my profile.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter! Or the Archer poster I'm using for the front cover.**

 **Please enjoy Chapter 2!**

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 **Chapter Two:**

 **A Visit To Diagon Alley**

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 _"Pass me the hammer, Brandon!"_

 _The sound of steel against nail echoed through the windmill as the shadows of two small figures worked to repair the broken structure of the building, though their effort seemed to amount to very little, as there was very little wood around and lack of materials to help them in such a task. They had managed to board up some of the windows, clear the floors of anything that didn't need to be there, and set up a lookout position on the very top floor._

 _"Well, I guess we can call that a day's work well done," Brandon smiled as he laid down on his stomach to look out from the hole that his brother and he made for their lookout position._

 _"See any intruders, Lieutenant Bran?" Derek asked, pretending to sound like a military officer._

 _"No intruders, sir!" Brandon peeked through the hole with one eye, looking around the vast grassy fields around him. "Our base is secure!"_

 _"Good, then we should start setting up our defense positions!"_

 _"Um, Derek? You do realize we literally have nothing left else to use for our base, right?"_

 _"That's Commander Derek to you!"_

 _Brandon rolled his eyes as he stood up, using his hands to remove the dust from his robes._

 _"I'm not kidding. We just the last of what we had to board up the windows and any weak spots. And we still haven't done anything about the holes in the ceiling."_

 _"What?!" Derek's smile faded, finally dropping the act. "How can we be out of wood and nails? There's no way we could have used them up already."_

 _"We've been working on this windmill for weeks, Derek. Of course, we ran out of the wood and nails. Haven't you been paying attention to what I've been telling you for the past few days?"_

 _"Sorry," Derek smiled, sheepishly. "I kinda lose track of what you say when I'm not interested."_

 _"Gee, thanks!" Brandon glared at him. "Anyway, since we can't work on the base anymore, I figured we could read the Daily Prophet." He reached into his robes and pulled out a folded newspaper of yesterday's news, having snatched it from the trash after his mother was done with it._

 _Derek raised an eyebrow, "Mum know about you stealing her mail?"_

 _"It's not mail, Derek-"_

 _"It's delivered by an owl, like everything else, so it's pretty much mail, bro."_

 _"And it isn't stealing if she already threw it into the trash," the boy unfolded the newspaper and laid it on the dusty floor, getting onto his stomach to begin reading._

 _Rolling his eyes, Derek sat down next to him and looked over his shoulder to read as well._

 _"Man, that Grindelwald means business. Says he's killed four more Aurors who were in pursuit of him."_

 _"And gained more followers as well," Brandon added as he turned the page._

 _"Ah, nothing interesting here. Just your usual crime reports and politics."_

 _"Let's see, there's an article about werewolves and the Ministry's future plans for how they're going to control them."_

 _"Pass."_

 _"Something about a growing feud going on between the Malfoy and Prince families."_

 _"Pass."_

 _"An article about Albus Dumbledore and his growing reputation at Hogwarts."_

 _"As much as I am intrigued, I think I'll pass on learning anything about him until we get to Hogwarts. Better to let the mystery behind the man continue to hold my interest."_

 _"Oooh, there's something here about a woman who went missing from her house three nights ago. Aurors say they have no leads, though they suspect Grindelwald's followers may be involved. A witness came forward and reported that he saw people in cloaks watching the house. When she didn't show up for work the next day, the Aurors got involved and found her place empty. Even weirder, they discovered a secret basement that wasn't supposed to be there. According to the landlord, anyway."_

 _"Interesting, but no thanks."_

 _Brandon frowned at his brother, "You are hard to entertain. You know that?"_

 _"Just keep reading, smarty-pants," Derek placed his hand on top of his head and turned his attention back to the newspaper._

 _"Well, there's a story about what's happening in the muggle world. Apparently, Germany has become a powerful country now."_

 _"Meh, the muggles are boring. What else is there?"_

 _Moaning in frustration, Brandon turned the page and continued on, reading out a few more articles and reports._

 _After a while, the two finally gave up and disregarded the paper to the corner of the room, climbing the stairs to the roof the building, sitting down to enjoy the view._

 _"You know, I could live like this forever," Brandon smiled._

 _Derek nodded, "Me too. We have a pretty good life here, don't we."_

 _The younger brother nodded back, "I just hope it doesn't change."_

 _The very thought made the two shudder, a chill running down their spines. They couldn't imagine losing any of this. Not now, not ever._

 _Their thoughts drifted to Hogwarts and imagined what their lives would be like once they got there. What Houses would they be Sorted into? What friends would they make together? What adventures awaited them at the School of Witchcraft and Wizardry? The questions made the possibilities endless as they lost themselves in their own worlds._

 _Turning his attention towards the river below, Derek smiled as he got up and removed his robes, leaving only his undergarments._

 _Brandon frowned at him, "Um, what are you doing?"_

 _"Going for a swim!" he cried out, running towards the edge and leaping off, landing into the water._

 _Looking towards the house, in search of their mother, Brandon removed his robes once he realized he was in the clear and jumped off the edge of the windmill. Feeling himself being engulfed by the cool water, he held his breath and swam to the surface, rubbing his eyes free of the water so he could search for his brother._

 _"Derek?" he called out. "Where are you?"_

 _Suddenly, he felt something quickly surface from behind and grab him by the neck._

 _"Haha! Got ya!"_

 _"Derek! You scared the living shit out of me!" he struggled to free himself from his brother's grasp, using his legs to keep himself afloat._

 _"You kiss your mother with that mouth... little man?"_

 _Anger shot through him as he elbowed Derek in the ribs, earning a painful howl from the boy as he let go of him._

 _"How many times have I told you not to call me that?!" he splashed water at his face before lounging himself at him as the two began to wrestle._

 _"Oh, come on, you know you love to hear it," Derek teased, dodging each attack his brother threw at him._

 _Losing track of time, the two failed to realize that someone was watching them from the riverbank. An unexpected guest who was smiling at the two boys in their moment of innocence and naiveness. A loving mother who enjoyed these little moments with her sons._

 _Druella Thorne was born to a pureblood family during the 1890s, eventually meeting and marrying Vincent Gray after her graduation from Hogwarts. While it was a disappointment to her parents for marrying someone who didn't come from a wealthy family, they at least were happy she married a pureblood wizard, though that was never her intention. Since her wedding, she's seen very little of her parents, though they were usually busy with their daily lives._

 _Ever since she gave birth to the twin brothers, she vowed never to raise them in the ways that her parents tried to do with her. She would see to it that they would marry out of love and treat others equally. They would never judge by blood or appearance, only by the actions of others. A vow she was happy to see paying off in the ten years since their birth into this world._

 _"Brandon! Derek!" she called out, smiling as the two turned towards her with curious looks, while one was held in a headlock by the other. "Come get dried and dressed. We're leaving."_

 _Obeying her, the two retrieved their robes from the top of the windmill, which earned them a look of disapproval when she released how and why that was, and redressed themselves for the journey they were about to take._

 _"Where are we going, mum?" Brandon asked as the three of them stood in front of the fireplace._

 _Druella smiled at him once she was going checking her small bag, "There's a place I want to take both of you. A place I've been waiting years to show you."_

 _"Is it Hogwarts?" the two boys asked at the same time, eyes filled with excitement._

 _Druella laughed, "No, sorry, boys. Not Hogwarts." She reached into her bag and pulled out some Floo powder. "Derek, you first. Like we practiced."_

 _Handing him the powder, he stepped on into the fireplace and prepared himself._

 _"Say 'Diagon Alley'."_

 _"Diagon Alley!" the boy cried out, throwing the powder down at his feet as a green flame consumed him. Opening his eyes, he found himself in a large room, filled with other fireplaces. Taking a step out, he looked around in awe at the people coming and going. Behind him, his brother came next and finally, their mother._

 _"That went as good as one could expect," she took each of them by their hand and led them to the doors of the large room, "Welcome to Diagon Alley!"_

 _Once the light receded from their vision, both Derek and Brandon's mouths fell open at the sight before them._

 _Wizards and witches filled the streets, carrying all sorts of things that they didn't even know existed. There were all kinds of shops, each different from the other. The buildings themselves were amazing in their style and design. And then there were the animals that some of the people were carrying with them._

 _Families moved from shop to shop, children laughing and teens getting serious into their conversations about Quidditch or other things that they wouldn't talk about in the presence of their parents._

 _It was so loud that one wondered how anyone could hear what the other person was saying._

 _"Mummy, can I get my wand now?"_

 _"We're going to crush Slytherin next year in Quidditch, boys! I plan on training as much as I can!"_

 _"Maximillian! Stop staring at those potions and help your sisters with their bags!"_

 _"You think there's a chance I've got a chance with Yui this year?"_

 _For everyone else, it was a normal day in the marketplace of Diagon Alley, but for the boys_ _, they felt as if they were in heaven._

 _Druella laughed at their expressions, unable to control herself._

 _"Your father and I had the same expression when we were your age."_

 _"Can we buy what they have?" Brandon asked, unable to tear his eyes away from his surroundings._

 _"Of course, dear. That's why I brought you here. Figured we could get a headstart before this place really gets busy by August."_

 _The eyes of both boys' widened with shock, speaking at the same time, "You mean there are more people than this?!"_

 _Druella laughed again, almost collapsing from how sore her stomach was at their reaction._

 _"Come on, the first stop is the most important," she declared as they began to walk down the large pathway. "Gringotts Wizarding Bank!"_

* * *

 _The moment they had entered the bank that their mother spoke of, both Brandon and Derek were completely left speechless by the sight of the goblins, who seemed to pay no attention to them as they approached the front desk._

 _After Druella spoke with one of the goblins, they found themselves being taken down a series of hallways and boarding a weird cart, which was manned by a goblin. Taking their seats, the cart started to move and began going down a long, dark tunnel, only lit by torches every few feet or so. But as they got faster, both Brandon and Derek started to laugh and cheer, enjoying the ride until they came to stop in front of a vault._

 _"Aw!" they both whined at the same time, earning another laugh from their mother._

 _Being left in the cart, their mother went to gather the money from the family fault and came back with a small bag that rattled with every movement._

 _Though their family was by no means rich, they weren't poor either._

 _Enjoying the ride back for as long as they could, the family exited the bank and began their shopping for the day, starting with a famous wand shop known as 'Ollivanders'._

 _As they entered the wand shop, a middle-aged man appeared from behind the shelves of the front desk, carrying a series of boxes as he placed them down for the moment._

 _"Druella Thorne," the man nodded. "Haven't seen you since your last visit before your seventh year at Hogwarts." He turned his attention to the two boys in front of her. "And these two, without a doubt, much be your sons. My, my, they appear to be quite... curious, at first sight."_

 _Druella smiled, "It's good to see you again too, Ollivander. Derek and Brandon need wands for their first year of Hogwarts."_

 _"Oh, twins, hm?" Garrick Ollivander studied them both closely, making the two back up against their mother. "I wonder if they will be similar or different. Or better yet, if one of the two will one day have twins of their own as well."_

 _The two lit up red at the last remark, while Druella laughed._

 _"Thankfully, they have a long while before we find that out. But we'll settle on seeing what their wands will be like first."_

 _Ollivander nodded and motioned for Derek to come forward, who obeyed with hesitation. Heading to the back, he picked out a box and brought it over. Removing the wand from the box, he wanded it over to the boy._

 _Derek took the wand in his hand and studied it over before giving it a swish. Right on queue, a lamp fell over and hit the floor._

 _"Nope!" Ollivander declared, snatching the wand away from him. "Too weak. Too weak."_

 _Placing the wand back into its case and storing it away, he picked out another. And then another. And then another. Before coming right up on the boy's fifth try._

 _Holding the wand in his wand, the wind picked up around the shop, but never in a way that threatened to cause damage. There was a threatening feel to its power, but one that held restraint._

 _"It would seem that the wand you hold is one that carries a deep, troubled past. Mistakes made, vows broken with masters from before, and an unforeseen future yet to be told." The old man paused, studying the boy over. "I'm very curious what life holds in store for you, young man."_

 _Keeping a firm grip on his wand, Derek retreated back to his mother, while Brandon approached._

 _After three failed attempts, the fourth wand accepted the boy with high colors, displaying magic like a magical rainbow._

 _"Hm, interesting," Ollivander studied him with interest. "Interesting, indeed. The wand you hold is one that values peace and love, above all. No matter what has come its way, it always remembers what's truly important in life. And like your brother's, it too has an unclear future."_

 _Brandon swallowed as he struggled to find his voice, "Um, sir... Why do you speak of wands like as if they're actual people? They're only sticks that help us produce magic... aren't they?"_

 _"Oh, no, my dear child. They are more than just sticks. They're alive and real. The wizard does not choose the wand... the wand chooses the wizard. Even after we die, wands have the potential to outlive us and are therefore wiser than us because of their experience. Always remember that."_

 _Nodding, Brandon backed up next to his brother and took his hand for comfort, while their mother paid for the wands with the galleons in the bag she had. Despite not speaking to one another, they both felt their fear and discomfort from the man's words. And as their hearts raced at great speed, their hands tightened together, a silent promise being made between them._

* * *

 _After their little ordeal at the wand shop, their fear was instantly forgotten as their mother took them to even more shops to buy school books, school supplies, new robes and finally some owls so they can send letters from the school to their home. The entire experience was a thrill ride that didn't seem to have an end. They talked with other kids their age or slightly higher, quickly getting advice in what to expect for their first year. Just hearing about Hogwarts was enough to get them excited for the day when they would finally be able to go._

 _Once their shopping was complete, the three of them stopped at a local wizard restaurant for a meal and some dessert, taking their time before they would finally make their way back home to store their stuff away until the first day of Septemeber._

 _Finishing up the chocolate pies they had ordered, the trio walked back to the building that held the fireplaces, entering one to make the return trip back._

 _But unknown to them, a woman watched them from afar in the dark corner of the large room, listening carefully to the name of their house they each used. Once they had disappeared into the fireplace, one by one, she moved out from his hiding spot and exited through the door._

* * *

 **For those who are wondering why the story is being written in ' _Italic'_ , it's because I wanted to give it a nice edge of feeling like a flashback, just in story mode. After all, the mysterious person at the beginning of Chapter 1 is pretty much telling his story to Severus, who is a representation of the audience. Not to mention it'll help separate the past from the present-day stuff.**

 **Please let me know what you guys thought in the review section below. Please a comment or something. Big or small, I love reviews. :)**

 **I apologize for any grammar errors. I will try and go back to correct anything I find.**

 **Nothing much else to add except, see you guys in Chapter 3! :)**


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